Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Book Review: 'A Father for Daisy' by Jennifer Wenn

For a small town, Barnesville seems to have its share of small town chaos. Gillian Crane is summoned to her home town due to her mother’s illness. Will this visit allow Gillian to be able to reconcile relationships from her past along with discover who’s her daughter’s father?

I have mixed feelings about this book. Barnesville is a nice small town and the story was believable in that aspect. The small town people and closeness of such. Everyone knows everyone, the gossip mill and the picture of the legendary Main Street; the location for the family restaurant and church. I found it puzzling that Gillian came back to town because her mother was sick, but Gillian’s purpose seemed more about who was her daughter’s father. What mother wouldn’t want a father for her daughter? Gillian’s prom night left her inebriated and pregnant. Now Gillian has found the courage to find out what happened that night.

Gillian’s mother is sick and the story really didn’t touch much on why the relationship between Gillian and her mother Rachel was dysfunctional. For Rachel to be on her death bed I would have expected her to be more compassionate and wanting to leave with her daughter’s relationship in a better place. There was no resolution or feelings to the mother-daughter relationship. Since this is such a touchy matter, as a reader I would have liked to have been given more about why there was such a strain on this relationship.

Gillian wasn’t aware of the feelings Andrew had for her. She has always had her eyes set on Lucas. For some reason Gillian’s mom decides now is the time to reveal family secrets and this leads Gillian’s pursuit to turn towards Andrew. This made her seem desperate and in urgent need of a man. Once Gillian and Andrew start their relationship it moves so fast it was very difficult to believe. The story was set in length to possibly keep the reader in suspense, but to me it was pretty predictable.

The writing is good and told in a easy to read format. The plot is interesting and one that had my attention to know why Gillian didn’t know who was the father of her child. There’s something about stories that take place in small towns that I find very likable. The plot was one that had a few holes in it to me but overall this is an enjoyable quick read with a resolution for Gillian. If you enjoy a book with a happy ending of love this is a book you will want to add to your reading list.

Editor's note: This article was originally published at Long and Short Reviews. It has been republished with permission.Like what you read? Subscribe to the SFRB's free daily email notice so you can be up-to-date on our latest articles. Scroll up this page to the sign-up field on your right.